Dricus du Plessis believes he should ‘absolutely’ fight for the middleweight title next after his performance at UFC Oklahoma City.The South African dominated fellow former champion Kamaru Usman in the main event of the Oklahoma show, scoring a clear unanimous decision after five rounds.Du Plessis put it on Usman at Paycom Center to get back in the winning column in his first fight since dropping the middleweight titleGettyIt was the South African’s 24th victory as a professional and it’s clear he wants just one thing nextGettyDu Plessis wobbled Usman several times throughout the contest, utilising his huge frame, left high kick and explosive, unorthodox attack to act as the aggressor.He came closest to stopping Usman in the second round with a series of nasty combinations to the head, with his crisp striking looking the best it’s ever been after 25 minutes.Despite not getting the finish, du Plessis’ victory puts him straight back in line to reclaim his old middleweight title, currently held by American Sean Strickland.Of course, du Plessis defeated Strickland twice during his 185lbs title reign, so he will no doubt be feeling confident he can go and do the same at the third time of asking.Du Plessis: Let’s get my belt back!“It feels absolutely amazing to be back,” du Plessis told Daniel Cormier after his win in Oklahoma City.“I’m back in the winning circle. Let’s get my belt back!”Du Plessis credited Usman for his warrior-like spirit, adding ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ has one of the hardest heads he has ever hit in his life.He said he will respect him for the rest of his life for giving him a hard-fought battle, not like ‘guys lying on top of other guys to get some dumb a** decision win.’That was, obviously, a shot at former champion Khamzat Chimaev, who defeated du Plessis in August 2025 to win the middleweight title before dropping it to Strickland at UFC 328 in May.“When it comes to the title shot,” du Plessis added.View Tweet: https://x.com/hashtag/UFCOKC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwUsman had a moment of success in the final round and complained about one of the judges scoring every round to du PlessisGetty“I said a win wouldn’t give me a title shot, but damn, a performance like that would get me a title shot!”The 32-year-old said at the event’s post-fight press conference he should ‘absolutely’ be in line for a title shot next.He did, however, add that he would also welcome a rematch with Chimaev.“There’s not a world where I would have lost tonight, I said that,” du Plessis said, shrugging off a ‘desperation’ attitude to the fight.“If I had to cut off a limb to beat him with, I would have done that. “That loss in my last fight, I hated it. I absolutely hated it. I’m a winner and losing doesn’t sit well with me.”Strickland shocked the world by defeating Chimaev to become the UFC middleweight champion last time outGettyAnd du Plessis wants to run it back with Strickland for a third time to reclaim his old belt, having already defeated the American twiceGettyOnly time will tell whether UFC CEO Dana White decides to book Strickland vs Chimaev 2 or Strickland vs du Plessis 3.No. 3-ranked middleweight Nassourdine Imavov could also be in with a shout at fighting for the belt next.UFC ScheduleThere are still several blockbuster shows and exciting contests for fight fans to look forward to in 2026, and you can find the full list of all confirmed events and official bouts as part of talkSPORT.com’s UFC schedule.The UFC, on average, puts on 13 to 14 premium events in a calendar year, with up to 30 smaller ‘Fight Night’ cards allowing prospects and less experienced fighters to showcase their talents.On January 1, 2026, Dana White’s promotion signed a seven-year broadcast deal with CBS and Paramount+ for exclusive rights in the US, meaning the UFC has put on shows like never before this year.With the historic first event in the new Paramount era, UFC 324, delivering huge success, and a one-of-a-kind fight card at the White House in June opening up the UFC to a new audience, the promotion remains a premium global sports brand, and fans are eager to keep track of results and upcoming fights.